उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

38-44] IMPOSSIBILITY OF ONE BEING ANOTHER 163
न तस्यैवान्यतोऽपेक्षा स्वरूपं यस्य यद्भवेत् ।
प्रकाशान्तरदृश्यो न प्रकाशो ह्यस्ति कश्चन ॥ ४२ ॥
42. Just as one light does not depend on another in
order to be revealed, so, what is one's own nature does
not depend on anything else (i.e., being of the nature
of Knowledge the Self does not require another know-
ledge in order to be known).
व्यक्तिः स्यादप्रकाशस्य प्रकाशात्मसमागमात् ।
प्रकाशस्त्वर्ककार्यः स्यादिति मिथ्या वचो ह्यतः ॥ ४३ ॥
43.¹ A thing naturally lacking² luminosity gets re-
vealed (i.e., has only its surrounding darkness removed)
when in contact with something which by nature is
luminous. The saying, therefore, that luminosity is an
effect produced (on other things) by the sun is false.
यतोऽभूत्वा भवेद्यच्च तस्य तत्कार्यमिष्यते ।
स्वरूपत्वादभूत्वा न प्रकाशो जायते रखेः ॥ ४४ ॥
44. Something³ non-existent⁴ coming into existence⁵
from something⁶ else is called its effect. But light⁷
which is the sun's own nature does not come into
existence from previous non-existence.
¹ This half verse is an answer to the objection that Pure Consci-
ousness, though not capable of being known by another Conscious-
ness, knows Itself like the sun which, though not revealed by other
lights, reveals itself.
² For a thing naturally luminous is not made luminous by any-
thing else or by itself. So the Self which is of the nature of Know-
ledge cannot be known by another knowledge or by Itself.
³ E.g., a jar. ⁴ Not manifested before. ⁵ Manifestation.
⁶ E.g., earth. ⁷ Light seems to be in jars etc.